Smith: Can others duplicate what Denver did to Cowboys?

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (21) is tackled by Denver Broncos defensive end Derek Wolfe during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017, in Denver.(Photo: Jack Dempsey, AP)

Was last Sunday’s beatdown in Denver a blip on the radar for the Cowboys or a sign of things to come?

Just think, it wasn’t long ago that we speculated over what kind of start Dallas could get off to without Ezekiel Elliott for the first six games of the season. Now speculation turns to whether the Denver Broncos gave the rest of the league a blueprint for a sound beating with him on the field.

Could another team – namely the Arizona Cardinals this Monday – manage to replicate what they’re undoubtedly watching on video right now? Two games aren’t a large sample size and the Detroit Lions and Indianapolis Colts aren’t exactly juggernauts when it comes to the ground game, but despite their struggles in 2016, the Cardinals were a Top 10 run defense last season.

But Arizona is without defensive lineman Calais Campbell. You know, that guy who opened his new stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars with three sacks in a win over the Houston Texans in the season-opener?

And let’s face it, Dallas will be a step up in competition over the Lions and Colts, especially when they're looking to wash to taste of an embarrassing loss out of their collective mouths. The Cowboys need a bounce-back game in which Elliott puts his nine-carry, 8-yard effort last week behind him, Dak Prescott throws the ball a lot less than 50 times and Dez Bryant gets back on track.

There’s a reason it’s been 45 years since the 1972 Miami Dolphins finished an NFL season with an undefeated record – every team has all-world talent, and victories rarely happen because one group of all-everything athletes is demonstratively more talented than the other.

Still, it’s one thing to get beat up by New England’s Tom Brady or Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers, but with all due respect, when the Broncos’ Trevor Siemian drops four touchdown passes on you, there are real issues to address. And that’s without getting into what C.J. Anderson was able to do running the ball.

The bottom line is that if the Cowboys plan on looking back at the Broncos loss as an aberration, it’ll be their suddenly maligned defense that gets its act together. If not, then maybe that game against the Los Angeles Rams that looked like such a cupcake week when the schedule came out is anything but that.

Stephen C. Smith Sr. can be reached via e-mail at stephencsmith1@yahoo.com or at www.twitter.com/coachsmithworld